shelby



(No Model.)

0. G. SHELBY.

CLASP.

No. 342,937. Patented June 1, 1886.

NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHRISTOPHER O. SHELBY, OF PATERSON, NE? JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE OANFIELD RUBBER COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

CLA

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Application filed February 6, 1886.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHRISTOPHER O. SHEL- BY, of Paterson, in the county of Passaic and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clasps; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the figures and letters of reference marked thereon.

My invention relates to improvements in clasps, and particularly to that class employed upon stocking-supporters; and it has for its object to provide a clasp which can be easily operated, and which will take a firm and secure hold upon the stocking or other fabric to which it is connected without liability of tearing the latter.

I will first describe my improved clasp, and will then point out its particular features of novelty in the claims at the close of this specification.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective View of my invention; Figs. 2 and 3, side elevations of the same, showing, respectively, the position which the parts occupy before and after clasping a piece of fabric. Figs. 4 and 5 are crosssectional views taken through the sliding button at the point which the latter occupies in Figs. 2 and 3, respectively.

Similar letters of reference in the several figures denote the same parts.

The letter A represents a piece of metal bent back upon itself at a, and preferably in a manner to secure a loop, 13, to which the webbing of the stocking-supporter can be attached. The upper or outer portion, 0, of this piece of metal is sprung away from the inner or lower portion, D, as shown in Fig. 2, and is provided with an oblong tapering opening, 0, as shown in Fig. 1, while the inner or lower part, D, is provided with a longitudinal slot, (1, of substantially uniform width,in which is adapted to work a sliding button, E, made I-shaped in cross-section, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

To connect this clasp to a stocking or other fabric, the edge of the stocking is inserted between the parts 0 and D and above the head I Patent No. 342,937, dated June 1, 1886.

Serial No. 191.058. (No model.)

of the sliding button E, as shown in Fig. 2; then the button E is pressed upward or outward, so that its head will carry a portion of the fabric through the opening in the outer part, 0, as shown in the dotted lines, Fig. 2, and then upon a pull being given either the clasp or the stocking, the button E will be caused to slide toward the narrowed or contracted end of the opening in the part O,there- 6 by securely clamping the fabric between the edges and top of said part 0 and the shank and head of said sliding button, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5. The longitudinal slot (1, in the under part, D, is made just wide enough to 6 permit of the free backward and forward movement of the sliding button, but prevents the button from turning within it. The contracted end of the opening in the outer part, 0, is also formed so that the shank of the button will nearly fill it, and the result is that when the fabric has been engaged by the button and the latter is pulled to the contracted end of the opening of the part 0 said button is heldiand prevented from turning by both the part 0 and the part D, and the firmness of its hold upon the fabric is thus increased.

To release the fabric from the clasp, it is only necessary to reverse the operation above deseribed,when the parts 0 and D will spring 30 apart and permit its ready withdrawal.

XVhile I prefer for the sake of cheapness to form the parts 0 and D from a single piece of metal bent back upon itself in the manner shown, it is obvious that these two parts 8 might be made of separate pieces joined by rivets or otherwise near the point c.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. The herein-described clasp, having the upper and lower parts, 0 D, the former provided with the opening tapered gradually to the lower end and the latter with the elongated slot, and the sliding button adapted to be moved back and forth in the slot of the 5 lower portion, D, and to co-operate with the upper part, 0, to clamp the stocking or other fabric, substantially as and in the manner set forth.

2. The herein-described clasp, constructed 100. of the single piece of metal bent near its center to form the two parts adapted to spring apart, one of said parts provided with a longitudinal slot and having a sliding button therein and. the other having the opening tapered gradually to the lower end, with which said sliding button is adapted to co operate to clamp the stocking or other fabric, and means for securing said clasp to the webbing of a stocking-supporter or other suitable support, substantially as described.

CHRISTOPHER (3. SHELBY.

Vitnesses:

\VM, 0. SHELBY, J r.,

WILLIAM H. THITOHENER. 

